Fitness equipment

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to fitness equipment. The fitness equipment includes a support; and an extendable member for extending from the support. A lock is provided for locking the extendable member at non-discrete positions. Advantageously, the lock can lock the extendable member at any one of the non-discrete positions that best suits a particular exerciser.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to fitness equipment.

BACKGROUND

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Exercisers come in all shapes and sizes. In practice, fitness equipment is adjustable to suit the individual exerciser before beginning exercise.

A known mechanism for adjusting fitness equipment involves inserting a pin in one of a discrete number of holes to change the configuration of the equipment. In practice, such an adjustment mechanism is cumbersome to adjust and it can be difficult to locate a particular configuration to optimally suit the exerciser.

The preferred embodiment provides fitness equipment with improved adjustment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided fitness equipment including:

a support;

an extendable member for extending from the support; and

a lock for locking the extendable member at non-discrete positions.

Advantageously, the lock can lock the extendable member at any one of the non-discrete positions that best suits a particular exerciser.

Preferably, the extendable member is pivotally mounted to the support. The positions may be angular positions in a range.

The lock may include a lockable gas spring. The lock may be biased to retract the extendable member to a stowed position. The lock may be expanded in a stowed position.

The fitness equipment may include a release for releasing the lock so that the extendable member returns to a home position. The fitness equipment may include a release (actuator) for releasing the lock so that the extendable member can simply be adjusted to a desired one of the non-discrete positions, and less cumbersomely than the pin in discrete hole arrangement. The release may be located on the support. The fitness equipment may include a link for linking the release to the lock.

The extendable member may include a lever arm. The lever arm may be pivotally mounted to the support. The lever arm may include a T-shaped free end. The lock may be closely aligned along and/or received by the support to minimize pinch points and increase safety.

The support may be static. The support may be an upright. The support may form part of a frame of the fitness equipment. The extendable member may be a leg restraint. The fitness equipment may be a lat-pull machine.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided fitness equipment including:

a support;

an adjustable person support extending from the support; and

a lock for locking the adjustable person support at any position in a range.

Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 is a partial rear perspective view of lat-pull equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in an extended exercise position;

FIG. 2 is a partial front perspective view of the lat-pull equipment of FIG. 1 in a stowed position; and

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the lat-pull equipment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided fitness equipment 100, in the form of lat-pull equipment, as shown in FIG. 1. The equipment 100 includes an upright support 102 forming part of a frame of the fitness equipment 100. An extendable member 104 is pivotally mounted to and extends from the support 102. The fitness equipment 100 further includes a rear lock 106 for locking the extendable member 104 at any non-discrete position in an angular range of 0° to 140°. Advantageously, the lock 106 can lock the extendable member 104 at any one of the non-discrete positions that best suits an exerciser.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, the lock 106 is biased to automatically retract the extendable member 104 to a stowed (i.e. home) position when the exerciser presses a release 200 (i.e. pushbutton actuator) on the static support 102. The lock 106 is closely aligned along and received by the support 102 to minimize pinch points and increase safety. The release 200 also releases the lock 106 so that the extendable member 104 can simply be adjusted, by the exerciser pulling down on the extendable member 104, to a desired one of the non-discrete positions. The foregoing adjustment is far less cumbersome than known pin in discrete hole arrangements.

Turning to FIG. 3, the lock 106 includes a lockable gas spring 300. The lock 300 linearly expands to retract the extendable member 104 to the stowed position, and linearly retracts when rotating and extending the extendable member 104. The fitness equipment 100 includes a wire link (not shown) for linking the release 200 to a spring actuation lever 302 at the top end of the normally-locked lock 106.

The top end of the lock 106 is mounted to a mounting bracket 304 of the support 102. The mounting bracket includes a series of adjustment holes 306 to vary the mounting location. At its base, the lock 106 further includes a mounting bracket 307 for mounting between the lockable gas spring 300 and free ends of drive axles 308 of the extendable member 104.

The extendable member 104 includes a forked lever arm 310. The lever arm 310 is pivotally mounted to the upright support 102 about pivot arrangement 312. The pivot arrangement 312 includes a pair of castles 314, extending from respective drive axles 308, and that have teeth for engaging within holes 316 in the lever arm 310. In this manner, the drive axles 308 form a rigid extension of the lever arm 310. Bushings 318 received in holes 320 of the support 102, in turn receive the castles 314 and a bolt (not shown) secures the pivot arrangement 312 together.

The lever arm 310 includes a T-shaped free end 322. A pair of cylindrical pads are typically fitted to the free end 322. The pads push down upon and restrain the legs of the exerciser when performing lat-pulls.

A method for using the fitness equipment 100 is now briefly described.

Initially, the extendable member 104 is in the stowed position shown in FIG. 2.

The exerciser sits with bent legs on a seat at the front of equipment 100. The exerciser then actuates the release 200 with a finger on one hand to release the lock 106, whilst pulling down on the free end 322 of the extendable member 104 with the other hand.

Once the pivoting extendable member 104 engages with the top of the exercisers legs, the exerciser takes the finger off the release 200 to lock the lock 106 in the exercise position shown in FIG. 1.

The exerciser then performs lat-pulldown exercises with the free end 322 of the extendable member 104, at the optimal exercise position, snugly restraining the legs.

Once the exerciser has completed the lat-pull exercise, the exerciser once again actuates the release 200 with the finger to release the lock 106. The extendable member 104 gently and automatically returns to the stowed position shown in FIG. 2 once more. The exerciser then takes the finger off the release to lock the lock 106 in the stored position.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention.

The lockable gas spring 300 may be replaced by any other suitable fluid power system utilizing, for example, a combination of hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Alternatively, a mechanical lock may instead be used including a clamped piston rod, disc brakes, gears, etc.

In the preferred embodiment, the lock 106 was biased to automatically retract the extendable member 104 to a stowed position. In another embodiment, the lock 106 is biased to automatically expand the extendable member 104 to an exercise position.

In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.

Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations. 

1. A fitness equipment, comprising: a support; an extendable member for extending from the support; and a lock for locking the extendable member at non-discrete positions.
 2. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the lock is configured to lock the extendable member at any one of the non-discrete positions for a particular exerciser.
 3. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the extendable member is pivotally mounted to the support.
 4. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the non-discrete positions are angular positions in a range.
 5. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the lock includes a lockable gas spring.
 6. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the lock is biased to retract the extendable member to a stowed position.
 7. The fitness equipment of claim 1, further comprising a release for releasing the lock so that the extendable member returns to a home position.
 8. The fitness equipment of claim 1, further comprising a release for releasing the lock so that the extendable member is adjustable to a desired one of the non-discrete positions, and less cumbersomely than the pin in discrete hole arrangement.
 9. The fitness equipment of claim 7, wherein the release is located on the support or the extendable member.
 10. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the extendable member includes a lever arm.
 11. The fitness equipment of claim 10, wherein the lever arm is pivotally mounted to the support.
 12. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the support is a static upright.
 13. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the support forms part of a frame of the fitness equipment.
 14. The fitness equipment of claim 1, wherein the extendable member includes a person restraint
 15. The fitness equipment of claim 1, and being in the form of a lat-pull machine.
 16. A fitness equipment, comprising: a support; a person support extending from the support; and a lock for locking the person support at any position in a range.
 17. The fitness equipment of claim 16, wherein the support includes a fitness equipment frame.
 18. The fitness equipment of claim 16, wherein the person support includes a lever arm.
 19. The fitness equipment of claim 18, wherein the lever arm is pivotally mounted to the support.
 20. The fitness equipment of claim 16, wherein the lock includes a lockable gas spring. 